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@nit-2h "taies atrnt @Hire ANDREW H. SMITH, OF CHARLTON, NEWYORK.

Lettera Patent No. 79,403, dated June 3,0, 1868.

IMPROVBMBNTIN GOMPBNSAI'ING FLY-WHEEL.

TO ALL WHOM IT' MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. SMITH, of Charlton, in the county ofiSaratoga, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Compensating Fly-Wheel and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specication.

The object of this invention is to employ the surplus power of a reciprocating engine, when the crankis in a position at right angles to the centre, to elevate a weight, which descends again as the crank approaches the centres, thus aiding it to pass those critical points, and making the 'motion of the engine more uniform and smooth. A l v This is effected by giving to the y-wheel two -revolutions to every revolution of the crank, and attaching to the rim of the y-wheel a weight, so placedthat it will he raised on one side:of the y-wheel while the crank is passing thepoints perpendicular to the centres, and descend on the other side while the crank is passing the centres. The weight' will thus `tend to retard the machinery when the piston is at half stroke, and there is a surplus of power, while it will accelerate it at full strokewhen the power is deficient, thus' equalizing the motion more eiciently than can be done by the mere momentum'of the ordinary ily-wheel. It will also prevent the liability of the engine to stop on the centres.. In the drawings- Figure lis a'plan representing my invention applied to a reciprocating engine.

Figure-2 is a side elevation oi' the same.

Figure 3 is a diagram to illustrate thegoperation of the invention.v

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

B represents the bed-plate, C the cylinder, and D the piston-rod of an ordinary reciprocating engine. The connectinglrod or pitman E rotates the shaft G, through the medium ol' a crank, F, in the customary manner. Upon the `shaft G is a cog-wheel, H, gearing with a smaller cog-wheel or pinion, I, having one-half` as many teeth as the wheel Gr. The pinion I is keyed ona shaft, J, which carries the ily-wheel K. 'By this arrangement, two revolutions will be imparted to the ily-wheel hy every revolution of the crank, F. represents an arm pivoted upon the centre of the fly-wheel K, and secured to the rimor periphery of said wheel by a catch, M or M. These catches are pivoted at m m, and in their normal position are held'against stop-pins N N'by springs O O.- P represents a weight, attached adjustahly to the arm L, in such a manner that it may be placed in a position concentric with the fly-wheel K, or may be setout as far as desired toward the periphery, so as to give a preponderance to that side of the wheel up'on which the arm L may be set. Q is a lever, fulcrumed at g, and providedwith a crescent-shaped cam, It, which, whenvthe lever Q is lowered, will act upon studs m2 on the Catches M M', so as to retract said catches and releasev thearm L therefrom.v

The operation is as follows: If the arm'L, carrying the weight P, he adjusted to the catch M, as shown in the drawings, and the crank "F and wheels H I K rotated .in the directions indicated by the arrows in fig. 3, it will he seen that while the crank'is passing through Yan -el`ective portion of its orbit, from j" to f2, the weight will be raised from p1 to p2, and while the crank is passing through the next ninety degrees of its orbit, (from' 'f2 to f3,') where it is almost non-effective, the-weight will descend from p2 to pl, and by its gravity assist the movement. When,'again, the crank is passing through the other effective portion of its orbit, from f3 tof?, the weight willbe again raised from p to p2, and while the lcrank passes from f1 to f", the weight will again descend from 2 to l.

henver the crank is on either of its centres, fXf the weight will b'e at px, where it will give the greatest aid to the movement. On the other hand, when the crank is at F orf, where thepiston' exerts the maximum of power, theweight will be at P, where it will exert the maximum of resistance. At the intermediate points the compensation will be equally perfect, so that if the weight be properly apportioned, the effective rotating power of the engine will be the same in all .positions of the crank.

lit from side to side;

When the engine is reversed, itis necessary to change the Weight from one lside of the fiy-wheel to the other. This is effected by depressing the lever Q, so that the stud m2 of the catehM will come in contact with the cam R, which will retract the said catch from the end of the erm L, that bears the weight P, so as to allow the said arm to escape, and remain in a perpendicular position. If the lever Q be immediately 1re-elevated, to place the cin R out of reach of thestudsm2, the catch M on the other'side ofthe' wheel will seize and hold the end of thearm L, and the reversal of the weight will be effected. I

The advantages derived from my invention are a steadier'rotation with less power, less Weight about the fly-wheel, avoidance of a tendency to stop on the centres, and a veryspeedy cessation of the motion after the steam is shut oi, as the lagging of the Weight will soon bring the ily-wheel'to a stand.

The Wheel K' may be dispensed with if preferred, and the weight attached simply to a revolving arm.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent i 1, I claim the compensating-weight B, arranged to make two revolutions to every revolution of .the crank,

F, suhstantially as and for the purpose set forth A 2. I claim the pivoted or swinging arm L,`in combination with the compensating-weight P, for reversing 3; I claim'providing the compensating-weight P with radial adjustment, to vary its effect as required, substantially as herein described.

A. H. SMITH.

Witnesses: y

J. H. SIMPsoN, J. W. LocKE. Y 

